Field sketching is note taking of a landscape in pictorial form. It helps you to identify important features in a landscape and leave out things that are less important. It also allows you to observe a landscape carefully and interpret what you see. You need not worry about your ability to draw. A good field sketch should show how well you understand a landscape, rather how artistic you are.
In field sketching, a sketching frame is useful too (refer to Figure 2.10). A sketching frame helps you to position items in the landscape according to three horizontal sections:
Foreground: the part of the landscape nearest to you
Middle ground: the central part of the landscape between the foreground and background
Background: the part of the landscape furthest away from you.
The sketching frame also subdivides the landscape vertically into left, centre and right.
The nine sections divided by sketching frame helps you locate features in a photograph when giving descriptions and interpretations.
You can easily make your own sketching frame by following the steps below (refer to Figure 2.11)
1. Measure a 5-cm-thick border around A4-sized cardboard. Outline this border using a marker.
2. Cut out the inner rectangle with a penknife.
3. Stick two strings horizontally across and two strings vertically down the frame. The string divides the inner rectangle into nine equal sections.
After making your sketching frame, follow the steps below to draw a field sketch.
1. Decide on the purpose of your field sketch and note down the important details to look out for.
2. Divide an A4-sized paper into nine sections. Place the paper onto a clipboard and use the clipboard as support when you are sketching.
3. Look through the sketching frame to view the area that you wish to sketch. Draw the features or furthest away (background) first and work towards the foreground. Include only what is necessary based on the purpose of your sketch.
4. Label the features